"On my documents I was told it was a 3A tear but it was a 3B tear when I consulted a gynae months later"

A mother’s experience of Oxford University Hospitals Maternity Services in 2023:

On 17th August 2023 – I managed to labour at home until 8cm dilated. I then drove in from Banbury to John Radcliffe with my husband and mother. I was told that the midwife unit was closed for the day - it was the afternoon.

I was sent to the delivery suite I think it’s called. Walked in (in fairly a bit of pain and very strong contractions) I told the midwife at reception that I am very close and need a room as quickly as possible as I feel like pushing. I was told to wait in the hallway and that I need to give a urine sample. I tried and failed, was in far too much pain to sit, standing was too much too.

I believe after complaining to the hospital that I was left in the hallway for over an hour with no assistance and no help from anyone. Meanwhile I am 8cm dilated and trying to push. When I asked again for help, I was told to wait and as it’s my first baby I will be here a while. So I then was clenching and forcing myself to try stop the contractions.

After over an hour and my husband asking for help, was I finally assisted in a small room. My dilation was checked and I was over 8cm. I was then walked to delivery room by a midwife who had [description of colour] hair and who just was irritating. She kept telling me to calm down and stop fighting the contractions but meanwhile I’ve been left outside for over an hour with no assistance.

She gave me gas and air after I begged her for it. I was then told to lie on the bed and she will be back. Well she never returned for ages and I had to keep hitting the call button to get anyone to come help me. Meanwhile this is my first baby, my husband distraught as we have been left waiting for ages and he doesn’t know what to do. No dr or other midwife came in for a very long time.

The midwife comes in and I told her something isn’t right, it’s too painful. She checked me again and said I can push - but I didn’t feel like pushing. Then she asked if my baby was breech (it honestly felt like she knew nothing and was a trainee) I was SO incredibly uncomfortable in her care and got the feeling she had no idea what was going on, she kept popping out saying I’m going to speak to my supervisor and then would come back and tell me what her supervisor said.

About 4 hours later, I’m told that my waters have been broken for a long time and that I need to have a c-section or forceps. We asked the dr what he recommended after he had done a scan and a check. He recommended forceps as my baby girl was further down and the c-section was more risky.

After signing our life away, I was rushed to theatre. A dr then explained the procedure to me. However, when she put on a mask and visor over her face, I could not hear her and kept asking her to speak up when she wants me to push.

Well later, I discovered that she tried 3 pulls with forceps and they did not work. I was then told push and push and my baby came out. I was then calmly told I have a 3rd degree tear but I’ll be fine. On my documents I was told it was a 3A tear but it was a 3B tear when I consulted a gynae months later. I was also told months later that they did not stitch me up properly and effectively find all the tissue to stitch up.

Post care was horrendous, I vomited all over myself and my baby after the surgery and I was in the ward. No one came to assist me with cleaning up and I couldn’t get up. I asked for help multiple times, the nurses did not help me change my daughter and I could not get up or walk etc.